Seatbelt retractor having an inertial sensor weight with a guide surface

ABSTRACT

A seatbelt retractor assembly ( 10 ) has a seatbelt retractor ( 14 ) and an actuator ( 26 ) for locking and unlocking the seatbelt retractor ( 1 ). An inertial sensor mass ( 30, 32, 33 ) detects changes in vehicle speed. The mass ( 30, 32, 33 ) has a guide surface ( 34, 35, 36 ) for interacting with the actuator ( 26 ). The guide surface ( 34, 35, 36 ) moves between an unlocking position in which the actuator ( 26 ) unlocks the seatbelt retractor ( 14 ) and a locking position in which the actuator ( 26 ) locks the seatbelt retractor ( 14 ). The guide surface ( 30 ) has an inner profile portion ( 62 ) and at least an outer profile portion ( 64 ). The actuator ( 26 ) is in contact with the inner profile portion ( 62 ) in the unlocking position while moving into contact with the outer profile portion ( 64 ) as the actuator ( 26 ) moves towards the locking position. The inner profile portion ( 62 ) causes a different acceleration of the actuator ( 26 ) than the outer profile portion ( 64 ).

This is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/092,278filed Mar. 29, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,377,464.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a seatbelt retractor assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A seatbelt for a passenger vehicle typically has a seatbelt retractorthat serves to retract the belt into its housing. The belt is wound upona spool in the housing. When the belt is drawn or protracted from itshousing, the spool winds a retraction spring, which later retracts theunused portion of the belt onto the spool or withdraws the belt into itshousing when not in use.

In the event of a crash, the seatbelt retractor has a lock that preventsthe seatbelt from extending further from its housing. The lock may beactuated by an inertial sensor, which responds to changes in vehiclespeed during the crash. When a large deceleration is detected, theinertial sensor triggers the lock of the seatbelt retractor to lock thespool and thereby secures the safety belt in place during the crash.

The inertial sensor has an inertial sensor mass that moves in responseto changes in speed of the vehicle. This mass is mechanically linked tothe lock by an actuator. When the mass moves, the actuator moves andcauses movement of a locking pawl that locks the lock when the mass hasmoved in excess of a predetermined amount. The actuator rests on asurface of the mass. This surface is angled so that movement of the masscauses rapid movement of the actuator and consequently the locking pawl.While rapid movement of the components of the inertial sensor and lockare desirable for safety, this same feature causes undesirable noiseduring normal vehicle operation.

A need therefore exists for a seatbelt retractor that reduces noise fromthe foregoing moveable parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Like existing seatbelt retractor assemblies, the invention has aninertial sensor that detects changes in vehicle speed. The inertialsensor has an inertial sensor mass, which is linked to a seatbeltretractor locking pawl by an actuator. The actuator moves with the massby riding on its surface. The inventor has discovered that a significantamount of noise arises from movement of the actuator and componentslinked to it. Accordingly, in contrast to conventional designs, thesurface of the mass is shaped to guide the actuator in a manner thatcontrols its acceleration and therefore noise.

The guide surface can be shaped or formed with a unique profile tolessen noise and provide more positive locking and unlocking of theactuator.

The guide surface has an inner profile region wherein the actuator restsin the unlocked position at the near zero acceleration position that isinclined less than 15°, preferably less than 10° or even 5°, mostpreferably substantially flat. The inner profile region can extendacross the entire guide surface of the inertial mass sensor to the fulllocked position of the actuator. In such a case the tilting of thesensor positively accelerates the actuator as it is pushed by thesubstantially flat or low angled inner profile on the guide surface.This creates a soft start contact between the sensor and the actuatorthereby reducing rattle noise.

In a second embodiment of the invention the guide surface has an outerprofile region which actually is curved to provide a deceleration of theactuator as it is being moved into the locked position. In thisembodiment the inner profile of the actuator can be any shape thatprovides an initial positive acceleration of the actuator as theinertial sensor moves towards the locking position. At an inflectionpoint or surface, between the inner profile creating a positiveacceleration of the actuator and the outer profile, the accelerationtransitions from positive to negative enabling the actuator to slow itsimpact velocity with the locking pawl or locking mechanism of theseatbelt retractor. This creates a “soft” locking impact furtherreducing locking noise.

The third embodiment of the present invention combines the inner profileand the outer profile with a middle transitional profile interposedbetween the two profiles. The actuator rests on the initial profile atnear zero or low vehicle accelerations and moves quickly onto a rampedor inclined transitional profile having an increasing inclination tocreate a more positive acceleration of the actuator. This combination ofprofiles insures the actuator sees very little or no movement at low ornear zero accelerations and decelerations of the vehicle relative to theinertial sensor. When the acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle issevere enough to tilt the sensor the rapid movement in the transitionalprofile enables the actuator to be more rapidly moved towards thelocking position. Once nearing that position the actuator slides past aninflection point onto the outer profile and begins to decelerate slowingthe velocity of the actuator thereby reducing the impact of the lockingpawl and the associated locking mechanisms thereby softening the impactand reducing the noises generated upon moving into a locking position.

The benefits of the inner profile or the outer profile may be usedseparately or in combination while the transitional profile may be usedwith one or both of the inner and outer profiles. The transitionalprofile may provide different levels of acceleration of the actuator byusing a variety of inclined profiles or curvatures.

In addition, the inertial sensor mass may have other profile portions orregions that cause different levels of acceleration of the actuator thanthe inner profile region or the outer profile region. Again, thesedifferent levels of acceleration may result from these portions havingdifferent curvatures relative to one another.

Hence, the guide surface may have a generally low angle or flat portionand may have a curved portion neighboring this flat portion. This lowangle or flat portion causes a slower level of acceleration of theactuator than the curved portion. Other regions of the inertial sensormass may be flat or curved to thereby control the acceleration andvelocity of the actuator. The inertial sensor mass may be a standard“standing man” mass, having a wide portion and a narrow portion. Theguide surface may be located on the wide portion.

Hence, movement of the actuator is controlled by the shape of the guidesurface of the inertial mass. Indeed, the actuator may have more thanone acceleration rate as it moves across the guide surface. Bycontrolling the rate of acceleration of the actuator, noise is alsocontrolled without reducing the overall sensor sensitivitysignificantly, in some cases actually increasing the initial sensorreaction sensitivity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the inventive seatbelt retractor, showing afirst embodiment inertial sensor mass, actuator and seatbelt retractorin an unlocked position.

FIG. 2A is a side view of the inertial sensor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is an overhead view of the inertial sensor mass of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the inventive seatbelt retractor assembly of FIG. 1in a locked position.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the inventive seatbelt retractor showing asecond embodiment inertial sensor mass, actuator and seatbelt retractorin an unlocked position.

FIG. 5 illustrates the seatbelt retractor of FIG. 4 in a lockedposition.

FIG. 6A is a side cross sectional view of an inertial sensor of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6B is an overhead view of the second embodiment inertial sensor.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a third embodiment inertial sensor combining ininitial profile of first embodiment with the outer profile of the secondembodiment via an interposed transitional profile.

FIG. 8 is an overhead view of the third embodiment inertial sensor.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the guide surface taken from FIG. 7.

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are exemplary graphical representations of theactuator displacement, velocity and acceleration respectively as theinertial sensor tilts to the fully locked position from the unlocked.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a side view of an inventive seatbelt retractor assembly 10.The seatbelt retractor assembly 10 has a seatbelt retractor 14, whichhouses a seatbelt 18 as shown. Like conventional seatbelt retractors,the seatbelt retractor assembly 10 has a locking pawl 22, which isselectively engageable with a locking wheel 28. The locking wheel 28 hasteeth to engage the locking pawl 22. When the locking pawl 22 is engagedwith the locking wheel 22, the seatbelt retractor 14 prevents theseatbelt 18 from extending further from seatbelt retractor 14.

As shown, the seatbelt retractor 14 has an inertial sensor, here aninertial sensor mass 30, which is responsive to vehicle acceleration.The inertial sensor mass 30 rests on a sensor housing 24, here shownschematically, and tips in the direction of either arrow P or arrow Q inresponse to vehicle acceleration. The inertial sensor mass 30 is linkedto the locking pawl 22 by an actuator 26, an arm, which causes thelocking pawl 22 to engage or disengage the locking wheel 28 dependingupon the position of the inertial sensor mass 30. While the locking pawl22 is shown schematically as a separate component from the actuator 26,the locking pawl 22 and actuator 26 may, in fact, be a single part. Asshown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the actuator 26 interacts with a guide surface34 through an actuator surface 54. The actuator surface 54 has anactuator curvature 58.

FIG. 1 illustrates the inertial sensor mass 30 in an unlocking position.When in this position, the actuator 26 maintains the locking pawl 22 inan unlocked condition, allowing the seatbelt 18 to be withdrawn from theseatbelt retractor 14. The actuator 26 is pivotally mounted by a pivot19 so as to rotate in the direction of arrow R in response to movementof the inertial sensor mass 30 in the direction of arrow P or in thedirection of arrow Q. In the event of a quick acceleration ordeceleration of a vehicle, such as in a crash, the inertial sensor mass30 responds by moving either in the direction of arrow P or in thedirection of arrow Q. In either direction, the actuator 26 moves in thedirection of arrow R.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inertial sensor mass 30 is shown having moved inthe direction of arrow P from the unlocking position 38 shown in FIG. 1to a locking position 42. Movement of the inertial sensor mass 30 hascaused the actuator 26 to move in the direction of arrow R from theposition shown in FIG. 1. This movement of the actuator 26 causes thelocking pawl 22 to engage the teeth of the locking wheel 28. The returnmovement of the inertial sensor mass 30 in the direction of arrow Qtowards the unlocking position 38 causes a return of the actuator 26 inthe direction of arrow S to the position shown in FIG. 1.

In contrast to conventional inertial sensor masses, the inventiveinertial sensor mass 30 has a unique guide surface 34 that controls thedisplacement, velocity and acceleration of the actuator 26 in thedirection of arrow R and arrow S. By controlling the displacement,velocity and acceleration of the actuator 26 and consequently thelocking pawl 22, noise from these moving components may be greatlyreduced without reducing sensitivity significantly.

The guide surface 34 according to a first embodiment of the inventionwill now be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B. Asshown in FIG. 2A, the guide surface 34 is located on a wide portion 46above a narrow portion 50. While the figures show a particular shape ofa sensor upon which guide surface 34 sits, guide surface 34 may beimplemented as any shape such as a ball or cylinder shape. The guidesurface 34 comprises an inner profile region having a low angle orgenerally flat inner profile 62 near the center or the “near zero”vehicle acceleration location X. The prior art sensor has a conicalguide surface inclined or sloped at 15° or greater. The presentinvention employs a guide surface 34 inclined at a surface angle alpha(a) having less than 15° relative to the horizontal plane at the nearzero vehicle acceleration preferably less than 10° or even 5°, as shownabout 0° or flat. This inner profile 62 can extend across the entireguide surface as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. In such a case the pivotalmovement of the actuator is minimized at low vehicle accelerations ofinsufficient size to tilt the sensor mass 30 but great enough to causevibrations which can lead to rattle noises. While the slope of the innerprofile region 62 should be less than 15° it must be appreciated a lowerslope, like a slope angle alpha (a) of 0° or flat, maximizes thebenefits of reduced movement of the actuator 26 at the at rest or nearzero vehicle acceleration condition. As shown the entire guide surface34 may have the same profile as the inner profile 62. Alternativelyother more inclined profiles may be used in combination with the innerprofile 62 as will be discussed. The surface angle a and itsrelationship to the pivotal motion will be explained in greater detail,however, as the actuator 26 is pivotably moved as the guide surface 34and sensor mass 30 tilt during a vehicle acceleration input the anglenaturally changes. For simplicity purposes the surface angle a is shownas the angle of the guide surface 34 at the point of contact with theactuator surface 54 as measured from a horizontal plane as noted in FIG.1 the angle a is 0° as shown. This is how the guide surface of thesensor mass 30 appears relative to the horizontal plane. As the sensormass tilts the actuator 26 pivots about the pivot 19 and the contactbetween the actuator surface 54 and the guide surface 34 changes suchthat the contact angle a is progressively moving in relation to thesensor tilt angle θ. It is therefore possible to design a cam like guidesurface 34 to control the movement of the actuator 26 by the followingmethods. As shown in FIG. 3, a line 80 is drawn through the actuator 26and guide surface 34 contact point 100 and the pivot point 102 at thebottom of the narrow portion 50 of the sensor mass 30 relative to thehousing 24, a second line 82 perpendicular to line 80 is drawn throughthe contact point 100. A third line 84 is drawn tangent to the guidesurface 34 at the contact point 100. An angle a′ between the line 84 andthe line 82 defines a moving guide surface contact angle a′ tangent tothe guide surface 34 as the sensor 30 tilts about the pivot point 102 atthat point of contact 100. Accordingly the moving contact angle a′ isprogressively changing as the sensor mass 30 pivots about this pivotpoint 102. Accordingly, the low or small a′ inclinations cause a slowacceleration of the actuator 26 while large angles a′ of positive sloperesult in faster accelerations and as will be discussed negative slopingcurvatures can achieve decelerations of the actuator 26. By selecting acam like guide surface similar to the guide surface 36 having featuresprogressively outward from the at rest or near zero vehicle accelerationlocation X a complete control of the movement of the actuator 26 ispossible. The second and third embodiments show the application of thismethodology to create various actuator acceleration profiles to reducenoise.

With reference to FIGS. 4-6B an inertial sensor mass 32 according to asecond embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The sensor 32 has aguide surface 35 having an outer profile region 64, the outer profileregion 64 initiates on a portion of guide surface 35 as contact with theactuator surface 54 along at least a portion of guide surface 35 as theactuator 26 is moved from the at rest and unlocked position 38 to anunlocked but in near proximity, to the full locked position 42. Thesensor guide surface 35 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has an inner profile69 inward of the outer profile 64 which may include any particularcurvature having a resulting positive acceleration of the actuator. Byway of example as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B a conical sloped depression69 having an angle or slope a of 15° or greater or a slope angle a ofless than 15°. With reference to FIG. 5 at a location 70 on theperipheral inner boundary of the outer profile 64 the positiveacceleration of the inertial sensor mass 32 changes to a negativedeceleration and the sensor guide surface 35 has a reverse slope changein curvature causing a deceleration of the actuator. The change incurvature creates a negative slope or angle inclination a′ relative tothe guide surface 35 at the contact point 100 as measured relative tolines 82 and 84, line 82 being perpendicular to line 80, as previouslydiscussed. This results in the movement of the actuator 26 to slow downor decelerate as the sensor mass 32 tips at the pivot point 102 to thefully closed position as shown this is at a tilt angle θ of about 20degrees, although the angle θ can be any angle selected for the propertilt of a particular inertial sensor. As the acceleration changes frompositive to negative at the inflection location 70, 70 ringing the outerprofile 64, the speed of actuator 26 movement slows. The resultanteffect of this slowing is a softer impact force occurs as the actuator26 moves the locking pawl 22 into engagement with the locking teeth.This in turn reduces noises caused by locking.

With reference to FIGS. 7-10C a third and preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated. The sensor 33 as illustrated in FIG. 7 has aguide surface 36 having the inner profile 62 of the first embodiment andan outer profile 64 of the second embodiment with a transition profile63 interposed between the two profiles 62, 64 respectively. As is betterillustrated in the enlarged view of FIG. 9. For simplicity the actuator26 is not shown, but is described in relation to the profile regions ofthe guide surface 36. It being understood how the guide surfaceinteracts with the actuator 26 from the previous discussion. Thetransition profile 63 has an inner portion 65 having steep slope curve,as shown the curve progressively increases in slope from the innerprofile 62 and at an inflection point 72 thereafter progressivelydecreases in slope to decrease the rate of acceleration of the actuator26 as the sensor mass 33 tilts toward the locking position 42. Thecircumferential outer portion 66 of the transition profile 63 thensmoothly connects to the outer profile 64 wherein the deceleration ofthe actuator 26 reaches a maximum prior to reaching the locking position42.

FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C are graphs exemplary of the displacement,velocity and the acceleration profile of the actuator 26 being guided bythe preferred guide surface 36.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the guide surface 36 has three primaryprofile portions, the inner profile portion 62 from X to A; thetransition profile portion 63 from A to B, and B to C; and the outerprofile portion 64 from C to D and D to E. These portions have differingcurvatures. Here the inner profile portion 62 at X to A curves away fromthe curvature 58 of the actuator surface 54 and is generally flat.Consequently, movement over this portion of the inertial sensor mass 33causes little acceleration and movement of the actuator 26. Because theactuator 26 is in contact with portion X to A in the unlocking position38, the actuator 26 will have reduced responsiveness for this region.The actuator 26 and locking pawl 22 consequently move very little,thereby reducing noise generation.

While portion X to A defining the inner profile 62 is shown in FIG. 9 asgenerally flat, i.e. having little or zero curvature, other curvaturesthat curve away from the curvature 58 of the actuator surface 54 may beused to achieve the same object of causing little movement of theactuator 26 in the direction of arrow R when the inertial sensor mass 33teeters in the direction of either arrow P or arrow Q. For example, asshown in FIG. 9, portion X to A need only have a curvature greater thanthe curvature of actuator surface 54 to reduce movement of actuator 26and thereby reduce noise. Indeed it may be preferable for portion X to Ato have a curvature opposite the curvature 58 of actuator surface 54. Bycurving the guide surface 36 away from the curvature 58 of actuatorsurface 54, movement of the inertial sensor mass 33 causes little or nodisplacement of actuator 26 in the direction of arrow R for this regionof the inertial sensor mass 33.

However, in the event of a crash, the inertial sensor mass 33 moves theguide surface 36 to the locking position 42. The actuator 26 will passfrom the inner profile portion X to A to the transition profile 63 firstportion 65 at location A to B, which is curved upwards having a radiusof curvature on the same side and toward the actuator surface 54 toincrease acceleration of the actuator 26 to lock the seatbelt retractor14. Portion 65 at location A to B is then followed by a second portionof the transition profile B to C, which curves with a radius ofcurvature in an opposite direction, i.e., originating inside the profileand downwards away from the actuator surface 54, extending to thecurvature to location D from location A to B to thereby slow theactuator 26. The actuator 26 is further slowed by generally flat curvedportion of the outer profile 64 from location C to D and rapidly slowedby a deceleration profile at an outermost portion of the outer profile64 from location D to E, which also curves downwards. In this way,movement of the actuator surface 54 across the guide surface 36 can becontrolled to have different levels of acceleration so that the actuator26 may initially move slowly in response to movement of the inertialsensor mass 33 guide surface 36, then rapidly, and then slowly. As aconsequence, during normal vehicle operation, the actuator 26 will movevery little if at all due to portion X to A. However, in the event of acrash, the actuator 26 moves rapidly because of the curvature of portion65 at location A to B and is slowed at locations B to C, C to D and D toE to gently place the locking pawl 22 into a locking position 42 ratherthan rapidly as with conventional designs.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 8, the guide surface 36 causes theactuator 26 to have different levels of acceleration. For the portion 62between X and A, the actuator 26 has an acceleration S₁, which is verylittle acceleration, if any. Over the portion 65 between A to B, theactuator is imparted with an acceleration S₂, which is a rapidacceleration and faster than the acceleration of S₁. In the portion 66from B to C, the curvature causes the actuator 26 to encounter anacceleration level S₃, which decelerates the actuator 26. In the portion62 from C to D, the actuator 26 has little to no acceleration and isprovided with an acceleration rate S₄. In the region of the outerprofile 64 from D to E, the actuator 26 is again decelerated at adeceleration S₅ to rapidly slow the actuator 26. It is in the outerportions of this region that it is anticipated that the actuator 26should not be moving because the locking pawl 22 should be engaged withthe locking wheel 28 prior to reaching this portion.

While the profiles of the guide surface 34, 35, 36 may take any varietyof shapes or curvatures it is believed desirable that the inner profile62 have a low inclination or flat surface, the transition profile 63provide a rapid acceleration or steeply curved portion and the outerprofile 64 provide a deceleration or negatively sloped curvature to slowthe movement of the actuator 26 just prior to locking.

As noted the features of the inner profile 62 as shown in FIGS. 1-3 canbe used without the outer profiles 64 or with combination of variousprofiles to achieve the at near 0° vehicle acceleration noise reduction.Similarly the outer profile 64 shown in FIGS. 4-6B can be used to softencontact impacts at locking with or without the inner profile 62 asdisclosed. Alternatively the inner and outer profiles 62 and 64 whenused in combination provide the beneficial aspects of both profiles,particularly when used with the transitional profile 63 as illustratedin FIGS. 7 through 10C.

The aforementioned description is exemplary rather that limiting. Manymodifications and variations of the present invention are possible inlight of the above teachings. The preferred embodiments of thisinvention have been disclosed. However, one of ordinary skill in the artwould recognize that certain modifications would come within the scopeof this invention. Hence, within the scope of the appended claims, theinvention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. Forthis reason the following claims should be studied to determine the truescope and content of this invention.

1. A seatbelt retractor assembly comprising: a seatbelt retractor; anactuator for locking and unlocking said seatbelt retractor; an inertialsensor mass for detecting changes in vehicle acceleration resting on asensor housing, said inertial sensor mass having a wide portion above anarrow portion, the narrow portion having a bottom with a pivot point ofthe sensor mass relative to the housing which establishes the sensormass tilt angle θ, the wide portion having a guide surface forinteracting with an actuator surface of said actuator to move saidactuator; said guide surface being horizontally and vertically movablebetween an unlocking position wherein said actuator unlocks saidseatbelt retractor and a locking position wherein said actuator lockssaid seatbelt retractor as the inertial sensor tilts about the pivotpoint; and wherein said guide surface has an inner profile portion incontact with said actuator in said unlocking position, the inner profilehaving a surface curvature, and said guide surface having an outerprofile portion, said actuator continuing in contact with said outerprofile portion as said actuator moves toward said locking position,said outer profile portion curving in an opposite direction from saidinner profile portion causing a deceleration, thereby slowing saidactuator prior to reaching said locking position.
 2. The seatbeltretractor assembly of claim 1 wherein said inner profile portion has adifferent curvature than said outer profile portion.